Twin Vibe
by Mia M. Turner
Summary: Now that Troy and Sharpay are dating, Ryan is feeling more and more protective of his twin sister. Troypay, Brother and Sister fluff.


A/N: I was sitting on a bench at my college today between classes, trying to think of what I wanted to write when I got home. One of my best friends requested this upon hearing I was hard-pressed for ideas, so this one's for you, Charity! Thanks again for the help ) And thanks, as always, to my readers, reviewers, lurkers, etc. I appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical.

What _was_ the word he was looking for? There had to be _some_ way to describe the way Ryan felt every time he saw Troy holding his sister's hand. Some way to explain the sudden irritation and need to protect his twin when she and Troy kissed. Some way to explain why he held back the urge everyday to shove Troy against a locker and swear to hunt him down and kill him if he ever hurt her. Hate wasn't exactly the word…. Hate was a little too extreme. Disgust wasn't extreme _enough_. Jealousy certainly had nothing to do with it.

Gabriella had come up with a pretty good idea, now that he thought of it. "You're just being a big brother," she'd said. "Big brothers worry."

Big brother…

Ryan was exactly 3 minutes and 15 seconds older than Sharpay was. For some reason though, those three minutes made all the difference to him. It was those three minutes that made him feel an obligation to his twin sister. It was those three minutes that made him feel like he had to do everything in his power to make sure no one hurt her, and Troy was certainly no exception.

Troy would often come and visit Sharpay's locker in the morning while the two of them were getting their books for their first class. Ryan had always tried to look a little taller when he saw him coming. He could tell he was failing miserably every time, and was probably only succeeding in making himself look insane. Sharpay always seemed too lost in Troy's eyes to notice.

It wasn't exactly that he didn't want Sharpay going out with Troy. He'd never seen her so happy before, and it was a nice change, he had to admit. Somehow, though, he wanted to get the point across that if Troy messed with Sharpay, he wouldn't take it lying down. But no matter what he tried, Ryan had to admit…

He was about as intimidating as a potato chip.

People feared Sharpay. People respected her. People literally dove out of the way when they realized they were in her walking path. Ryan was simply there to follow. The two were always joined at the hip; one was hardly ever seen without the other. It was never just Sharpay or Ryan. It was always Sharpay _and_ Ryan. And yet somehow, Ryan couldn't quite pull off any of the looks or harsh comments Sharpay was able to throw out at will. If Ryan were anything like Sharpay, he would have already given _several_ death threats to Troy. He simply didn't have the courage to stand up to people like that.

He decided that had to change when Troy asked Sharpay if she wanted to hang out at his house after school. Ryan shot Troy the coldest glare he could muster, but he didn't seem to even notice he existed. Ryan simply shook it off and went back to loading his backpack. Sharpay would say no anyway, he knew it. After all, the first thing they _always_ did after school was go straight home and rehear—

"Can't wait!!"

Ryan shook his head. Did he just hear right? Did Sharpay just agree to off with _Troy_ when she already had plans with _him_? Not only that, she was going to a _boy's house_? He didn't like the sound of that idea at all. But what could he do?

As Troy walked off, Ryan tried to think of what Sharpay would have done in this situation. She would have definitely spoken up right away. She wouldn't even try to come up with an excuse as to why he couldn't go anywhere. She would simply say he wasn't going because she said so. Well… they _were_ twins. If she could do it, why couldn't he? The thought of standing up to Sharpay was absolutely terrifying, but the more he thought about what his sister and Troy could possibly be doing after school, the more confidence he got. He took a deep breath before facing her.

"Shar? Can I talk to you?" His words came out as more of a statement than a question, as he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the nearest empty classroom before she could answer. Sharpay yanked her arm back violently once they were inside.

"What do you _want?_" she snapped. Ryan's confidence was beginning to waver. Now he remembered why he never tried to stand up to Sharpay. She already looked like she was going to kill him, and he hadn't even spoken yet. This was going to be tough… He knew there was no arguing with Sharpay, so he wouldn't be able to _ask_ her to stay behind with him. He'd have to handle it the way Sharpay would have handled it, and that was to expect the answer was already 'yes'.

So Ryan tried his best to make a face Sharpay would have made, and spoke the way he thought she would.

"You're not going." He said, his confidence returning. That wasn't as bad as he thought it would be… Sharpay hadn't punched him the face anyway, that was a good sign…

Actually, she lifted an eyebrow at him, as though he'd just told her he was an alien from another planet. She looked at him like that for quite a few seconds before she threw her head back and… laughed?

Ryan's smug smile slowly faded. Why was she laughing at him? He was trying to be _serious_… She didn't even seem to be laughing sarcastically… She was laughing as though what he'd just said was genuinely hilarious. Sharpay finally caught her breath and looked up at him.

"That was _great_ Ry. But save it for the stage," she told him before turning around to walk out. Ryan's eyes widened and he grabbed her arm again.

"Sharpay I wasn't _acting_. I'm serious…" His confidence was beginning to waver again. The fact that Sharpay wasn't taking him seriously to begin with wasn't a good sign. Her smile turned to a look of complete disbelief faster than he could blink. Even quicker than that, it became a look of complete anger. Ryan's eyes widened again. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…

"How _dare_ you talk to me like that?" she yelled. "You've got some nerve coming in here and telling me where I can and can't go! After everything I've done for you. You should be _thankful_ I let you share my reputation here. What made you think you could talk to me like that?!"

Nervous as he was, Ryan couldn't stop the answer from spilling out. "I just… _We _always hang out after school, remember?" Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"Whatever Ryan, we can't hang out _everyday_. Plans change, life happens, get over it." Ryan winced a bit at that. "So what's _really_ bugging you?" Ryan looked back at her in surprise. How did she know? Sharpay must have sensed his surprise. "We're twins Ry, I'm not stupid. Now tell me what's bugging you before I smack you." Ryan couldn't help smiling a bit at that. It was so… Sharpay; to care so much while not caring at the same time… It made sense to him anyway. Realizing he was caught, he figured he would just come out with the truth. There was no way around it now.

"I just don't know if… it's a good idea for you to go today, that's all." He muttered. He could have sworn he saw Sharpay's expression soften slightly.

"Ryan, I'm not stupid. I can take care of myself." Her tone was definitely annoyed, but it was considerably quiet for Sharpay. Ryan smiled nervously again.

"It's not you I don't trust," he answered. Sharpay's expression _definitely_ softened at this. It was one of those rare moments in which Sharpay understood what Ryan was telling her; he wished those moments would occur more often. For once, she seemed to be at a loss for words. She looked at the floor and shifted from foot to foot before looking up.

"When I get home tonight, I'll tell you all about it, okay? That way if something happens you don't like, I'll give you my permission to kill him tomorrow. Okay?" She gave him a huge, genuine smile. Ryan loved these little moments. They didn't happen often, and they didn't last long, but that only made them more special.

"Thanks, Shar." He muttered. "I love you." Sharpay smiled.

"I know!" she said cheerfully before flouncing out.

Ryan chuckled a bit and walked out, shaking his head. Typical Sharpay…


End file.
